Today’s story is one of love, resilience, and turning heartbreak into hope. After losing their son Miles to a rare congenital heart defect, Chelsea and Paul Lamb founded Miles of Love to support other families walking the same difficult journey. From financial relief to holiday gifts and community events, their mission is simple but powerful — to make the miles ahead a little smoother and filled with love.

In today’s edition:

❤️ Meet the heart behind Miles of Love
❤️ Learn how they’re supporting families in Hampton Roads and beyond
❤️ Discover ways you can get involved this season

—Kim

When Chelsea Lamb was in her second trimester with her second child, her 20 week anatomy scan showed something that was very wrong with her baby’s heart; a congenital heart defect. When Miles was born at Norfolk General he was immediately taken to CHKD and diagnosed with Ebstein’s Anomaly, a rare congenital heart defect that has a wide range of outcomes for babies. At just 2 days old, Miles was sent to UVA Children’s Hospital. He underwent two open heart surgeries, several catheter surgeries, suffered from cardiac arrest and was put on a ventilator, sustaining what doctors believed was catastrophic brain damage. Chelsea and her husband Paul were left to make a decision that no parent should ever have to make. “We had to face what Miles’ quality of life would really look like if we would ever be able to get him stable enough to come home and we had to realize that this goal of coming home was not guaranteed to happen. Once we realized we were out of medical intervention options, we had to make the impossible decision to take Miles off his ventilator.” Chelsea held Miles until he passed; he was just 4 months old. 

Miles of Love was founded in the Spring of 2024 just months after Miles got his angel wings. Miles of Love is devoted to providing hope, comfort and financial support to families with children battling congenital heart defects (CHD). Every challenging journey is unique and the non-profit’s goal is to support heart families during their journey and make the miles ahead a little smoother and full of love. Chelsea and Paul saw firsthand the weight that CHD placed on their entire family. They experienced what it was like to have their family torn apart; which parent would be at the hospital and which would care for their then 3 year old at home. Then there was the financial burden of missing work and potential job loss. “Parents are often forced to choose between paying bills or buying food, siblings miss their loved ones and caregivers are left without the support they need. We realized there was a gap; hospitals could treat the medical needs but not the everyday challenges that come with them,” Chelsea shares. Miles of Love was created out of the desire to fill this gap, offering support for the entire family so that they can focus on caring for their child with CHD. 

As a non-profit, Miles of Love works year round to fundraise to support their cause, helping families in Hampton Roads, as well as nationwide. This summer, they hosted their annual gala in August, which is Miles’ birthday month. They will host a fishing tournament this month and plan to collect holiday gifts for patients at CHKD and UVA Children’s Hospital. Chelsea has big plans for their future and hopes to be able to host an annual event for Hampton Roads CHD families so they can connect with each other and even create a monthly meet up so that families can build a local support network.

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